b'PARTNER CONTENTcompanys long history of seed treatment innovation. Saltro is going to be a huge product in U.S. soy- JOE KUZNIA: beans, says Weikel. It promises to preserve yield poten- DELIVERING SEEDCARE SOLUTIONStial by protecting soybeans from sudden death syndrome (SDS) without displaying any of the damaging side effects of phytotoxicity.In addition to SDS, Saltro will offer protection against nematodes, including soybean cyst nematode. It will be easy to treat seeds with Saltro, because we specifically designed the formulation to fit this market, plus we have tested it extensively at The Seedcare Institute, Ramachandran says. While row crop seed treatments are important, Syngenta Seedcare also supports other crops with tech-nologies, including Dynasty PD, the first seed-delivered fungicide for peanuts, and Plenaris, a fungicide seed treat-ment for sunflowers. Theres also the FarMore Technology Platform, an on-seed application of separately registered seed protection products and proprietary application tech-nologies designed to help vegetable growers maximize production. How can lessons from a potato field lead to improved With all of these products from Syngenta Seedcare, theseed treatments? Thats the magic of The Syngenta goal is to help growers protect their seed investment, soSeedcare Institute (SCI) for North America and its skilled they can get their crops off to the healthiest start possible. team members in Stanton, Minn.Growers make large investments in seed genetics, plus theyre planting much earlier to maximize yieldI put on my farmers hat to view things through the potential, says Shawn Potter, head of Seedcare productgrowers eyes, says Joe Kuznia, a Syngenta Seedcare marketing for Syngenta. The first three to four weeks areplatform lead who has worked at Syngenta for 24 years. the most critical for seedlings. Seed treatments help themSolving challenges early on can boost the crops yield get off to a good start, even in cold, wet conditions. potential, which boosts the growers income potential.Partnerships Enhance Application Technology When Kuznia worked in the Red River Valley, he While Syngenta has focused on developing new seedobserved that spraying the edge of a potato field could treatment technologies for decades, the team at Theslow down the migration of Colorado potato beetles. Seedcare Institute has also helped modify and fine-tuneThis practise sometimes eliminated the need to spray seed treating equipment along the way. entire fields multiple times. Farmers were thrilled, As demand for treated seed grew by the early 2000s,because this saved them a big chunk of change, says Syngenta helped develop continuous-flow treaters. WeKuznia, who also modified sprayers for greater accuracy put one of these drum treaters on a trailer and tookin sugarbeet fields.it across the country to teach people how to use it, Ramachandran says. Kuznia brings this same solutions-oriented mindset to Today, Syngenta offers basic and advanced trainingSyngenta Seedcare, from the development of treatment for seed treatment applicators at The Seedcare Instituterecipes to accurate seed coat application. He provides facility in Stanton. Retailers practice how to treat seedhands-on training for retailers who come to Stanton for properly for the best coverage, use accurate dosing andbasic and advanced seed treatment classes.troubleshoot potential problems. They also learn theJoe speaks their language, says Ravi Ramachandran, importance of product stewardship. Ph.D., head of the SCI for North America. He embodies Cant make it to Stanton? Syngenta has a team of Seedcare specialists acrosswhat the institute represents: a passion for problem-the country who can visit your site, says Joe Kuznia,solving and a relentless commitment to develop the best Syngenta Seedcare platform lead at The Seedcare Institute. seed treatments and service in the industry.Advancing seed treatment technology involves makingFinding new ways to optimize seed treatments in real-sure a seed treatment consists of the right mix of ingredi- world settings motivates Kuznia and his colleagues at ents, or recipe, for each crop and geography.the SCI. I want to empower retailers and growers to You need the right formulation so the seed treatmentsucceed with Syngenta Seedcare, he says.sticks and stays on the seed, Ramachandran says. JANUARY 2020 GERMINATION.CA 35'